The Morning War
by Telera1701
Summary: How the Creators became nomads and Rannoch was lost to the Servant of the People. Rating may change in the future.
1. Prologue

**MORNING WAR**

_Author's note: this story takes place on Rannoch, the Quarian homeworld, between year 1880 and 1995 of the Council Era which is roughly 300 years before the events of Mass Effect which is (c) Bioware.  
_

* * *

**PROLOGUE: GETH**

**oOo 1880 oOo**

"You really want to rename the VI networks?"

"Absolutely." He looked up at his colleague with a wide smile. "The mobile hardware release deserves a little ceremony." He turned to face the form still attached to the reclined lab chair which looked back at him through its glowing photoreceptor. "Unit Zero-One? What is the Khelish word for 'servant of the people'?"

"The word is Geth, Creator Zahak." The synthetic voice replied, eliciting an even wider smile on the scientist's face.

"Yes, very good." Zahak nodded and patted the VI on its duraluminium shoulders.

"Well, Professor," the other scientist reached for the bottle Saurian Brandy in her locker filled the two plastic mugs sitting on the counter. "Congratulations!" She smiled offering him the drink. "You made it, Creator Zahak." She teased, stifling a yawn.

The woman glanced at the creature

"_We_ made it, Reela," he corrected, lifting his mug in a toast. "You put as much effort in this project as myself."

"Now let's put you offline for the last few calibrations…" he tapped on his omni-tool and within moments the machine was back into standby mode.

"Ancestors, you fuss over it…"

His eyes lingered on the dormant form before turning to face the other scientist, his face beaming with triumph, enthusiasm winning over tiredness.

"Weren't you here until midnight fixing Zero-One's circuitry?"

"Well it needed resoldering," she shrugged lightly and fought back another yawn.

"You're exhausted," he patted her shoulder checking the time on the wall behind her. It was well past midnight – again. "Go get some rest," she opened her mouth to protest but he blocked her before she could say a word. "I'll just file in some data and go home as well. Don't worry. I wouldn't dream starting any test on our Geth, without you."

"You're probably right." A sigh escaped her lips and looked at the clock. "Goodnight, Professor…" She collected her coat from the hanger and paused one last time before heading out the lab. "Goodnight Geth," and the door closed silently behind her.

"You're the beginning of a whole new era, I can tell" he whispered running a hand over the smooth surface of its metallic chest plate. In the last three years he'd been so absorbed by the project that it was the first time he realized the rough elegance of unit Zero-One: the most advanced cybernetic technology in the galaxy lay enclosed in a flexible but durable outer shell and synthetic muscle tissue giving it the strength of a Krogan and the agility of a Sur'Kesh monkey; its artificial brain was able of potentially infinite calculus capacity and flawless memory.

From an aesthetic point of view he had to admit that he hadn't given it the most original design, but he was satisfied with the results nonetheless. Reela once mentioned that its shape and proportions carried slightly too much resemblance with its Quarian creator, but to him, it was just perfect.

"Geth..." Zahak mused, repeating the word to himself. Yes, he liked the sound of it.


	2. Chapter 1 Creator Megara

**oOo**

**CHAPTER 1. CREATOR MEGARA **

**oOo 1883 oOo**

The "Geth project" was a success. At first as a mere curiosity among academics. Soon, owning a Geth servant became a status symbol for the better off. Shortly after, the practical applications of Zahak's creation became evident in every field: they were strong, reliable, untiring laborers who would never fear the harsh and dangerous condition of off planet mining nor would they complain if set after the most repetitive bureaucratic task. Even the military started employing them for high risk operations such as routing through a mine field. Eventually the name Geth became the common term to define the mobile VIs as a whole.

Three years had passed since that fateful night and in three years, by the time Professor Zahak retired, geth units were produced by the thousands.

He was now over eighty years old and the peace of his cottage in the countryside was much preferable to the chaos and excitement of the city. Besides, notoriety had downsides. Funding was no longer a problem, but he could hardly draw a breath without the press or the government inspectors nosing around the laboratory. He didn't like the idea of leaving the campus, but it was for the best.

Still… he couldn't bring himself to abandon his greatest achievement behind.

Convincing the Science Board hadn't been easy, but eventually they consented to let him take the first geth with him – as a retirement bonus, so to speak.

He decided on a small property in the southern continent, where the climate was mild, the soil generous, and the population scattered – which was a definite bonus. The former owner had had the land cultivated with vineyards and sold it at the sole condition that the vines would be preserved.

A month later Zahak had already moved in. After six, it felt as if he'd always belonged there.

In spite of his prejudices on the country people being a close-minded-averse-to-novelty lot, he soon discovered that they had been in fact extremely quick in adopting this new technology. In fact, much to his surprise, most of the agricultural work had been delegated to the geth.

Each afternoon, as soon as the summer sun granted some respite from the heat, he would take long walks on the paths that overlooked the neighboring vineyards and the orchards, the latter crawling with geth activity. Many times he stopped by those fruit gardens observing their metallic fingers gracefully collect peaches, apricots and plums, all with the skill and care of the most seasoned farmer. Ancestors, the geth made him so proud!

Amazing machines, all of them, but compared to Zero-One these mass produced units were little more than smart farming tools.

His prototype was unique.

What began as a pass time against boredom rapidly turned into a full time project. He started by gradually increasing the number of programs running in parallel within the platform. As predicted, the higher the number, the faster it would adapt when facing new situations. What he had not foreseen was that one day Geth started adding new software to itself on its own accord.

Initially he dismissed it as a fluke but after close observation it became evident that the creation of new software was directly correlated to the variety of experiences it would run into. It was its original response to unknown situations. It was learning.

He remembered once, a few weeks after Geth's new working schedule was decided, that upon returning from his usual evening stroll, he found it waiting for him at the front door.

"May this unit ask a question, Creator Zahak?"

"Yes. Go ahead."

"Why do the creators laugh?"

The old man stared at the geth, surprised and maybe even slightly - very slightly - alarmed by the unexpected question. "Well… people laugh when they are happy, or when they think something is funny… or sometimes they're just nervous…" He blurted, not quite certain about how to answer.

"This unit does not understand."

"Figured…" he pondered for a moment. "Why do you ask?"

"This unit found 103.982.343 references to laughter on the extranet…"

"You've been researching laughter?" the professor interrupted. A small smile graced his lips.

"Is it wrong for this platform to perform this kind of research?"

"No. There's nothing wrong with that…" He paused briefly. "The answer to your question is not simple. It deserves to be discussed more properly, certainly not here at the entrance." He gently patted the geth on its arm and made his way inside. "We can continue this conversation in my reading room…"

That would be the first of a long, long series of chats.

He deeply considered the consequences of indulging The Geth on this path. Galactic Law was extremely clear on the matter: Virtual Interfaces yes, Artificial Intelligence, no. This _experiment_ was treading on a very thin line… Nevertheless it felt wrong to castrate his creation's development.

He didn't stop Geth from continuing. He encouraged it even. He lifted the prototype of the dullest, time consuming tasks, and had him work on its own 'education'. There were risks, but the droid wouldn't have to do this all by itself. He'd be there to guide it.

He built a machine, an extraordinary one, but up until now never had the thought that it could become anything more than that had crossed his mind. That day, as much as his intellect refused the idea, his heart began harbouring an irrational spark of hope that this droid could be more than the mere sum of its parts.

The progress was slow at first, but after a few months the gap between this unit and the rest of the robots was undeniable. It still failed to get a grip on the basics of social interaction and the understanding of emotions entirely eluded the robot, but he – _it_ – tried and that was the most important thing.

Every now and then he would ask Geth to join him in his evening stroll. It was during one of these walks that they met Megara, a weird boy about ten years old, with curious glowing eyes and untamed curly red hair in sharp contrast with his sun darkened purple skin.

At first he believed the boy's interest to be related with the fact that he was sort of a celebrity, though it became immediately clear that the kid – whom, he learnt, lived in a farm about one km north his place – was actually very much fascinated with that one specific synthetic. Evidently he wasn't the only one to perceive Geth's uniqueness.

Two days later the boy had shown up asking for Geth as if it were just another kid in the neighborhood.

The astonished professor tried to explain that geth were machines, not people and certainly not toys to play with. He nodded and walked away. Proof that his explanation hadn't been very convincing, the boy kept coming at the door, day after day, asking for Geth until the man gave up and allowed him to spend time together. As strange as it sounded, it looked like his synthetic had made a friend.

Initially he recommended both to stay where he could see them, now he simply instructed Geth to return home with the boy at a given hour. Obviously Geth never failed to comply.

**oOo**

"Hello, Geth!"

"Greetings, Creator Megara," the geth turned as the excited youngling popped his head into its quarters. It was intent in processing information, learning, as Creator Zahak called it.

Once everyday tasks were accomplished – which included house work as well as supervising other geth in the vineyard and assisting the Creator with his experiments – its duty was to learn as much as it could. It was then to post-process (discuss, was the term most frequently adopted for this operation) its findings with the Creator, an activity which, according to his words, he deeply enjoyed.

On his part, Geth unit zero-One found those daily chats rather confusing.

Creator Zahak's answers to his questions tended to be cryptic at best: it appeared that he'd made a point never to grant it a simple yes or no, leaving the geth to reach a consensus by itself. 366 times out of 367 this proceeding resulted in further questions rather than answers. Still, it found this habit far from useless, as it compelled the droid to add new programs to its collective to explore the dilemmas presented by The Creator.

Eventually it deduced that Geth's growth towards complexity was its primary target in The Creator's will. This mobile platform could hence better focus on accomplishing its Master's directive… which, from the point of view of a geth, was a huge deal.

Having reached such an understanding on his 'purpose' had a great relevance when the geth was faced with the issue regarding young creator Megara. Exactly 103 days after settling in their new residence, Creator Zahak confronted it with one precise question: "Shall I tell Megara to stop bothering you?"

The Creator had given this platform the duty of learning and ultimately of growing;  
This unit had learnt much more and much faster by frequenting young creator Megara;

This unit had greatly increased its complexity associating with young creator Megara by developing 198 new programs ad hoc to face the variables presented by the boy, and by adding them to the consensus it effectively tripled its original cognitive ability;

On secondary instance, young creator Megara had repeatedly expressed he appreciated Geth's company.

Therefore, the answer to '_should this unit discontinue the ongoing association with the Quarian youngling_?' was rather simple: definitely not.

The Creator's reaction was of a loud laugh followed by "Ok, Geth, you may go out and play with Megara whenever you like", which the mobile platform interpreted as a positive response to its previous analysis.

Coming to the present situation, young creator Megara was now fidgeting with a strand of curly red hair, as if waiting for something. "So… Can you come out to play?"

"Yes."

Seeing as the geth remained still, Megara reformulated the question: "Will you come out to play with me now?"

"Yes."

The droid took a step back from the holo-screen and this time the reply appeared to have generated a positive reaction in the boy who all but stormed outside the back door, encouraging it to follow.

The boy trotted ahead in silence with the mobile platform in tow, turning every now and then without uttering a single word. He stopped abruptly at 507 meters from their starting point and began searching the ground at the base of a grapevine.

"Can this unit enquire what Creator Megara is looking for?"

"There's something I want to show you…" the young Quarian muttered, "Oh! Here! Look, look!"

The following moment, although it would not appear in any book nor chronicle or official record, marked the very turning point in Quarian and Geth history, and eventually for the Galaxy at large. In fairness, the protagonists themselves could not imagine the chain of tragic events that such an apparently insignificant event triggered.

What changed the course of billions of lives in the following centuries was as insignificant as the neat lines of insects coming and going from the pile of dirt at Megara's feet. Because observing the minuscule dots climbing up and down their anthill, one thought surfaced in the geth's mind.

Individually taken, those ants were nothing but stupid little drones. Together, however, they were able to build complex underground infrastructures, create food stocks, feed and attend to eggs and larvae, and generally lay down efficient survival strategies which granted the best odds for the entire collective – all tasks undeniably above the intelligence of the single ant.

It would take many years, countless evening conversations with Creator Zahak and the old man's genius for the leap of logic that would lead to network all the geth, but the spark of an idea was conceived on that ordinary late summer day.

And ideas, especially the good ones, can be very dangerous.


	3. Chapter 2 Days Gone By

**oOo**

**CHAPTER 2. DAYS GONE BY **

**oOo 1895 oOo**

Downstairs Megara poured himself another glass of new wine – they had a spectacularly good harvest that year. He could tell Geth's work behind the quality of the farms in the region. Now that they were all networked, the synthetics reached efficiency levels that were almost unthinkable two decades before.

Speaking of unthinkable, it never failed to amuse him how he, Megara'Koris son of a farmer, was now a robotics engineer researching at Enki, the most prestigious University on Rannoch whilst Geth, the legacy of the most brilliant cyberneticist of the world (and possibly of the entire Galaxy), had chosen to become an agricultural unit – the reasons for this decision remaining a complete mystery to him.

Zahak's villa with was exactly as he remembered: it seemed to hold the special quality of being unaffected by the passage of time. In the summer its ancient stone walls shielded the house from the scorching heat and when the winter winds swept the hills they kept the warmth inside, in the very same way as centuries before.

The ground floor was spacious with a simple brick arch separating the kitchen from the living room. From dawn to sunset daylight flooded the place through the large windows overlooking the vineyards. He could see his father's farmhouse sitting on top of the neighboring hill and the earthen path cutting through the fields.

The sturdy wooden table in the middle of the room was large enough to sit six people, and he remembered how there was always all sort of characters coming and going – neighbors mainly, but also scientists from the Capital, poets and philosophers. He probably ate more often at Zahak's table than at home…

Two armchairs and the sofa he was sitting on completed the furniture along with two pots of evergreens in the corner by the stairs.

Ever since he was ten this place was like a second home. It was simple and cozy.

Still, today he couldn't help the feeling in the back of the head that something was different… and something – someone – was indeed missing. When he asked Geth about the professor, the synthetic told him to wait there and as usual left him a bottle of red wine.

The sound of light footsteps drew his attention. "Was starting to think you'd let me die here!"

The geth tilted the head and lifted its facial plates in a rather effective interpretation of a frown.

"Never mind…" he sighted and glanced behind the robot. "Is the professor okay?" he blurted out more nervously than intended when the unsteady figure of the old man failed to appear from the stairs.

"Yes. He is resting."

He studied the geth for a moment before discarding that little impression of something not being entirely right. The professor was always so busy with his studies and was probably tired, he'd drop by another time to say hello.

"Fancy a little walk like old times?" He got up and carefully placed the glass on the table. It was such a beautiful day and he was not going to waste it indoors.

He grew up playing with dirt, running through the vineyards, climbing the huge krev'ak tree that marked the 'border' between his father's and Zahak's fields: he was a country kid, he could never truly get used to the city. Not that he disliked it, but he loved this place. They could go for miles without seeing a building taller that two stories.

It was the very image of peace, but still, even walking along his favorite track he couldn't forget about the vague uneasiness he felt earlier at the house.

As they reached the little brook at the bottom of the hill the young man stopped and sent a questioning glance towards the machine who also seemed slightly _off_. "Is everything all right in there? Or are you guys arguing to reach consensus again," he chuckled.

"All functions are running within normal parameters. And we do not argue, we examine different perspectives on the same issue."

"C'mon, you know I was joking… well maybe you don't… Anyway, does something bother you? You look… pensive." He asked and sat on a rock, removing his boots before dipping the tip of his toes in the stream.

Geth crouched next to him and imitated the pose, his longer legs reaching ankle deep in the water.

"What happens after death, Creator Megara?" he voiced out, rather abruptly.

"I'm not going to ask you why you're even thinking about death on such a bright sunny day." How was he supposed to reply to the question every mortal in this universe had been trying to answer without ever reaching a conclusion? The man observed the machine for a long moment and wondered if he could be looking at the very first synthetic philosopher.

"Truth is I really don't know, my friend. You'll have to ask someone much wiser than me…" he sighted. "But as far as I'm concerned, it's what we leave behind that matters, rather than where our souls – assuming something like that even exists – go or don't go to."

He was positive that his answer hadn't even started to satisfy the geth's curiosity, but at least he hoped he'd given him something to further elaborate on.

The synthetic remained quiet for a few minutes before turning with yet another question.

"Why doesn't Creator Megara spend more time with other creators?"

"Are you getting bored of me already? I barely returned!" He teased and splashed him. "Besides, I'll be heading back to the big city in less than two weeks." He loved the way Geth would switch from one subject to the other with no apparent connection. Sometimes it was like talking to a child. A very smart one. Or maybe it was just his own logic failing to link the dots.

"Geth do not experience boredom."

"Wish I could say the same…" he muttered to himself. "Anyway, why do you ask?"

"Creator Megara appears to spend 86% of off duty time with this platform. Extranet search results suggest that for young adults it should be preferable to spend time with other organics of similar age. So why is Creator Megara spending time with this unit instead?"

"To put it in your terms, the intellectual and emotional benefits of this association are greater than by spending the same given time among my kind…".

"We like to spend time with you, too, Creator Megara."

The man replied with a warm smile and the two friends sat side by side in complete silence. For a moment all the worries of the world were forgotten and it felt like being a child again.

Their peace was suddenly interrupted by a buzzing from Geth's ominitool. Less than five seconds later the geth had jolted up from the rock to start running in the direction they came from.

"Geth?!" He shouted, dumbfounded by the abrupt twist of events.

He swiftly recovered his boots and sprinted after the geth, but the other was already way ahead of him and was keeping a definitely faster pace.

By the time he caught up with him, Geth had already reached the professor's house. The ground floor was deserted. Slowly, Still slightly panting he walked the steps leading upstairs to Zahak's private rooms. He knocked. No answer. He could hear someone talking on the other side. Almost holding his breath, he pushed open the old wooden door.

"All organics eventually die; it's the natural conclusion to our lives.

"We do not die unless terminated. Does this mean we are not alive?"

"It is not up to me to say, Geth." The old man smiled softly "I'm afraid you must find the answer yourself…" and wrapped his fingers around the geth's hand, squeezing it gently. "And if I know anything about you, I am certain that one day you will."

The robot didn't even turn as he entered the room. Geth was standing beside the professor's armchair, holding the Zahak's hand with a grace Megara never suspected and altogether he got the distinct feeling he was prying into something too intimate.

Instinctively he took a step back, eyes fixed on the floor so very embarrassed.

"Creator Zahak wishes to speak to you, too Creator Megara," Geth's monotone voice stopped him a moment before he was out of the room. The android shifted slightly to let him closer.

The old man gave him a fatherly smile and placed Megara's hand over the geth's. "Take care of _him_."

"I will…" he whispered as he watched the glow in his eyes become dimmer and dimmer, until the only light left on his face belonged to the late afternoon sun.

The man lifted his chin to meet the droid's gaze – or better the blinking flashes of its photoreceptor that he came to consider his gaze. Everyone, even the professor – however unconvincingly – told him it was wrong to humanize a machine… yet Zahak's last word had been _him_ after a lifetime of _it_.

What now? How would the geth manage without his creator? And how could Megara hope to venture through completely unknown territory without his mentor's guidance? Zahak had just abandoned them both… He sighted as he watched the droid stand in hieratic stillness.

"I'm sorry…"

"We do not experience sorrow."

He nodded, _of course_… yet somehow, that was so hard to believe.

**oOo**

The ambulance arrived in a flash, if only to formalize the exact time and date the Great Professor had passed away.

What came next was mostly a blur. Signing documents, answering calls, organizing the ceremony... that wasn't how he imagined he'd be spending his vacation. The old man definitely chose his moment well. In a way he was… glad. He got a chance to say goodbye.

He was finishing packing his stuff when he heard the low rumble of a skycar approaching. He looked at the time. Too soon to be his taxi to the airport. He walked out the front door, mildly curious as to where it might be going.

A chill ran down his spine when he realized the vehicle landed at Zahak's house. Without hesitation he slid into his boots and coat and ran. He all but flew the nine-hundred-something meters separating the two buildings, an irrational fear giving him speed.

Two people emerged from the car just as a grey, windowless minivan appeared in the sky approaching rapidly.

"What's going on here?" he blurted out, rather mindless about manners or hospitality. "Who are you people?" panting heavily as he tried to catch on his breath.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" a large individual all dressed up in what looked like a uniform grabbed him painfully by the shoulder and yanked him backwards before he could get closer to the rest of the shady party.

"What!?" He shoved off the other man's hand and shot him a venomous glare. "This is private propriety! What the hell is going on!?"

"Officer Joran, it's all right…" a female voice came from behind the car. Reluctantly the officer took a step back.

"What's going on?" He repeated for the third time in five minutes, doing his very best not to shout at the woman.

"I'm doctor Reela'Shal, director of the Quarian Science Board," she showed him her badge "And you are…?"

"Megara'Koris…" he eyed her suspiciously. "Zahak's my neighbor and close friend. _Was_ my friend," he corrected bitterly. What business did the Science Board have here in the middle of nowhere? Unless it had to do with Zahak's work.

As if on cue, the director continued. "We are here to recover equipment that belongs to the Board. Officer Joran," she nodded at the man who was still too close to his personal space. "… is here to ensure all is done according to regulations."

"What kind of equipment exactly?" there wasn't much scientific equipment in the house. Nothing valuable to the Science Board anyways. "I am professor Zahak's legal heir," he added before she could reply. How he hated the sound of those words: to him that house and everything inside it would always belong to his friend. He was just taking care of it.

"I see… I apologize for the inconvenience, we were not informed about a heir, we didn't mean to intrude…" she smiled politely. "When he left Enki, the Professor brought along a precious prototype that is to be returned to us. A Geth unit. You have probably seen it…"

"No. No you can't take him." Equipment?! A thing?! It took all his willpower not to slap her in the face.

"Him?" It was her turn to give him an odd look. "I am afraid we can take _it_ – she stressed the word – This mobile platform belongs to the Science Board. As you will see, it was in the agreement the Professor signed when he was allowed to leave the Campus with it." She forwarded the document to Megara's omnitool.

He scrolled through the contract in disbelief. It was all there. "You can't just take him away…"

"Mr Koris, I reckon this might cause you a considerable nuisance. The Science Board will obviously amend by providing you a new agricultural unit…"

"I don't want a new unit. I want him." He interrupted curtly. "Why don't you ask him what he wants?"

"Listen." Her voice had suddenly taken an unexpected authoritative note. "I do not intend wasting my time with this. I hear enough of this geth humanization nonsense in the news." She rolled her eyes. "Evidently it is not clear to you that we are not talking about a person. It is a thing. A thing that belongs to the Science Board. Now, please step aside and let us do our job. I really would not want to have you restrained."

The policeman growled as if to make the point clear. Satisfied, she dismissed him with a nod and entered the house.

"Wait!" He opened his mouth to say something but no sound came out. She was completely right. Legally, that is. He desperately searched his brain for a solution, but it was blank. All he could do was stare as they loaded his friend in the grey van sporting the Rannoch High Council insignia. Bastards must have set him on standby.

His eyes followed the officer giving directions to the driver and could only watch the damn thing take off and disappear in the sky, kidnapping his synthetic friend. His best friend.

"Where will you be taking him?" He stopped the doctor as she reemerged from the house. His voice no longer hostile, now carried a sense of complete defeat.

"Enki Laboratories," she took a few steps to her car where Joran was already waiting then turned again. "You're probably thinking I'm heartless… I understand your loss, Mr Koris, I really do. Zahak was my friend, too. But that geth is his gift to the world, it cannot be left to rust in a vineyard: I am certain you will agree that our laboratories are the one place to make the best of its potential..." maybe out of pity, she patted his shoulder in an uncharacteristical, almost motherly fashion. "You are welcome to visit, if you want…" she added before taking her place in the backseat.

And there he was, pathetic and helpless in the courtyard of an empty house. He looked at the large windows and the plastered stonewall he loved… and altogether they were meaningless to him.

He slowly walked his way home and finished packing. Meticulously he cleaned up the house, dusted every shelf, kissed the framed holo of his parents goodbye and locked the door behind him. He looked back one last time before getting into the taxi… maybe the last events were just taking a toll on him, yet for some reason he had the distinct feeling that this was the last time he'd ever see this place.


	4. Chapter 3 Synthetic Soul

**AN: sorry for taking so long to update, life's been quite hectic around here. Hope you like it and thanks for the lovely reviews :)**

* * *

**oOo  
**

**CHAPTER 3. SYNTHETIC SOUL**

**oOo 1896 oOo**

"_Doctor Reela'Shal, personal log, year 2485 18__th__ day of Lun'shal. It has been eleven months since he - IT - got here. _

_I should not be saying this, Ancestors, I shouldn't even think it… given my position I could be charged with High Treason but I guess it comes a moment when career and regulations just do not matter anymore. As director of the Science Board my duty is to follow the decisions of the Council… as a scientist, as a Quarian, I must follow my conscience first. _

_End recording."_

**oOo**

Megara never liked the tram. Too many people crammed in too little space. It made him claustrophobic. He craned his neck over the pool of heads to cast a glance through the transparent ceiling and looked up at the traffic flowing smoothly 60 meters above the ground. He couldn't help wondering which was worse: to be packed like sardines or waste half your monthly salary on a private vehicle.

He wasn't too fond of crowds in general, but to be fair, the tram had lots of pro's. For starters, it was the easiest and cheapest way around for all those who couldn't afford a skycar or, more likely, preferred to avoid all the blood draining taxes related to owning one. He remembered reading on the news about the introduction of that ridiculous _congestion tax_. It was quite amazing how the central area wasn't just declared car-free at all.

Another good point about the tram was that only public transport was allowed to circulate on ground level within the city limits. And he loved to be at ground level, hovering nicely at 20 centimeters… He wouldn't even admit it to himself, but as primitive as it sounded he really, really, really disliked flying. Compared to flying, crowds were fun times.

Lastly, it was fast. And it was always good to get home fast.

The tram halted and the doors opened to the small crowd gathered at the boarding platform, everyone equally impatient to go home even when it meant to squeeze tight in that glass tube and get their personal space mercilessly invaded by a multitude of strangers. At least his was the next stop.

The moment he stepped onto the sidewalk, rain began to fall in large scattered drops. He hurried under the colonnade and kept walking at a steady pace. His place was less than five minutes away and every day felt like he couldn't get there soon enough.

Old Enki was by far his favourite part of the Capital megalopolis, where stone and bricks had not yet been replaced by the more functional concrete composites. These buildings were old, ancient, and usually lacked some of the most common comforts such as the domestic integrated interface, turbo-lifts, or even normal elevators, but there was something to them that he couldn't find in the modern hi-tech suburban hives. His practical no-nonsense colleagues failed to see a logic behind his choice to live in historical center: considerably higher prices, less comfort, smaller rooms.

He pushed the heavy wooden door open and started climbing the flight of stairs to the first floor where his apartment was. He could hear some pacing, just round the corner.

"What are _you_ doing here!?" It took him a moment to identify the stranger. The dismissive look, the way she kept her arms crossed, tight, hiding her hands, the shoulders hunching slightly, her overall appearance of a fragile old lady almost got him.

"Get out." He all but hissed at the woman standing in front of his door.

"Mr Koris, please… it is very important…" her palms facing upwards in a praying gesture.

Megara wasn't a resentful person, but he hated the director of the science Board with a passion. '_Feel free to visit' _she said. The waiting hall was as far as he ever got. Stuck up old bitch.

He wanted to kick her out so badly... however, now that they were finally face to face, there was something about her, something he would see every morning looking in the mirror: an all too recognizable aura of defeat that Megara didn't expect to see surrounding his enemy. She looked so much older than he remembered, as if the past months had consumed her.

Driven by curiosity, the young man reluctantly unlocked the door and let her inside.

"Thank you, Mr Megara I really apprec…"

"Spare me," He cut her short. "What do you want? I tried to visit at least thirty times but your people always bounced me back…"

"Believe me, I was not aware that you came. The geth prototype was kept under high security protocols… for what is worth, I apologize…I reckon my presence here is far from welcome, but I would not be bothering you unless I felt it was absolutely necessary…"

He snorted. She was taking her sweet time to get to the point… and he was in no mood to be patient.

"But enough of that," she blurted nervously. "I think unit Zero-One is in danger. Sod that. I know that unit Zero-One is in danger. Not an immediate danger but still…"

At those words, Reela'Shal captured his complete attention. Before the man could react she continued. "I need your help, that is why I am here… but I think there is something you should know first…" she hesitated.

He pulled a chair from the kitchen table and offered her a seat while he simply kept leaning against the counter, waiting for her to continue.

"Since we acquired the prototype, we have been registering an ever growing – an exponentially growing number of geth related _incidents_. Minor issues. Reports of faulty units were – and still are – coming in on a daily basis. We have been delegating the problem to our local divisions, they are too many to deal with at HQ. In fifteen years we never had a problem with the geth, and now all of a sudden… I am a Scientist and I do not believe in coincidences. About two months ago I began investigating personally. Standard procedure in these cases would be to deactivate the unit, dismantle it and replace the broken components. I read all the past reports: each and every malfunction fell under behavioral anomalies, entire groups suddenly changed their working pattern, started questioning their role, start questioning in general…"

"Wait wait wait... are you trying to tell me that the geth are becoming self-aware?"

"I have the feeling this is no news to you." She shot him an icy glare but lowered her eyes almost immediately.

"On the contrary," he shook his head. "So far only Geth – or prototype Zero One, as you call him – is the only one I knew about. Maybe his _awareness_ is being echoed by the other networked units…?"

"Zero One has been isolated from the geth network at Zahak's villa and remained disconnected ever since. We kept it dormant the whole time, it was reactivated only this morning."

"Then how…? Still, there has to be a connection."

"I believe so, too. It has to do with unit Zero-One. I was there when Zahak first activated it, and I know that this is not the same geth. I mean, of course it is, the serial number and the cybernetic signature cannot be altered and they are an exact match but… the programs running within this unit are ten times those of an agricultural geth. I had already read all the Professor's notes about it. About its _education_ but if that weren't enough… I got proof of its intelligence."

Megara could only listen, still uncertain what to think about this person. There was no trace of malice in her words, and why would she want to fool a nobody like him anyway? So she found out that Geth was no longer a VI, and apparently other synthetics as well… but why tell him?

"Today we had the annual visit by the Minister of Research and Education – I really shouldn't be telling you this… but after what happened I don't care too much about my career – so yes, the Minister herself was at Enki Laboratories. The usual diplomatic pleasantries were exchanged and all was running smoothly when she asked to see the famous Geth prototype. I felt it was a bad idea, but I could not bring up any valid objection to her request. And this is where the problems start."

"So is that when you reactivated him?"

She nodded and ran a hand through her greying hair, taking a moment to phrase the rest of her story. "We were all there, the full Science Board, the Minister, even a couple journalists. I turned it back onlinep ersonally. It immediately recognized me from fifteen years ago and started talking. Actually, it just wouldn't shut up," she sighted. "His- _its_ favorite topics seemed to be Professor Zahak and his friend Creator Megara… _his friend, you_… can you imagine? I was the only one to notice the curious choice of words, the Minister seemed only slightly amused by Geth's continuos blabbering and for a moment I believed the worst was over... But I was horribly naive."

And Megara was getting more impatient by the second.

"At some point our _beloved_ Minister said something like '_Zahak's soul may rest in peace, he's done an amazing job here_'. I do not recally it exactly, really, it was just a generic comment, but I think it triggered Zero One's fatal question."

"By the Ancestors, what did he say?!"

"_Does this unit have a soul?_" She sent a gelid glare towards him. "The Minister did not take that nicely. Suddenly she wasn't smiling for the cameras anymore. She declared her visit to be over and had all footage on Zero One confiscated. We were ordered never to talk about this with anyone."

He shot her a look as if to say '_yet you're telling this to me.'_

"This evening…" She hesitated. "This evening we received the official order to disassemble geth unit Zero-One."

* * *

**I know, this chapter was kinda short but I promise next one will be ready soonish. **

**xxx Telera  
**


	5. Chapter 4 Trust

**AN: Hey there. Last time I promised a quick update. I lied. I really hope to get the next one done faster. Anyway, short little chapter for you, voila!**

**Reviews and comments are always welcome. :)**

* * *

**oOo**

**CHAPTER 4. TRUST**

**oOo 1896 oOo**

"Geth unit zero-one, initiate full shut down."

"Creator, this unit detects no malfunctions. It is still capable of serving."

"You see?" the operator turned to his colleague, shaking his head. "It's ignoring all shutdown commands."

"Please specify if it has failed assigned tasks. We will reprogram."

The woman moved away from the control panel over to were the android was. "Well let's take a look…"

"Creator, this unit is ready to serve. What has it done wrong? What have we-"

"Let's… cut the audio," the man turned off the vocal circuits impatiently. "we'll never get over with this if it keeps talking," he scratched the back of his neck as the other scientist nodded in agreement. Neither were too fond about dismantling the first geth prototype out of some politician's whim, but sure enough they weren't going to lose their jobs on a machine.

As they were about to proceed the doors shifted open, catching their attention.

"Doctor Shal, we didn't… we didn't expect…" the man stuttered, exchanging glances with his partner who looked equally worried. They were slightly behind schedule, not too much, they hoped.

"How's the operation proceeding?" the older woman enquired.

"The geth is still active…" the second engineer replied, her embarrassment clearly readable in her voice.

"I see…" she commented with experienced gravity. "I shall take it from here."

"I assure you we are perfectly up to the task, Ma'am," the man's voice was almost shaking. "The Science board has nothing to worry about…"

"We'll get it done in time, Ma'am…" the other one intervened, her head bobbing up and down as if it made her look more convincing.

"It was not a suggestion," her tone silenced the pair immediately. "You are dismissed."

Only when the doors shut behind the two very confused quarians did Reela Shal allow herself to sigh. She glanced up to the deactivated CCTV and surprised herself whispering a small prayer that no one would come and check on the Geth or this would be a very short lived rescue.

She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. Going against a direct order from the Minister. Stealing a geth – the Geth – from Enki labs. She was throwing decades of respected career down the drain out of a feeling. It had been a mistake to look for Megara to begin with… no… not really. As much as she wished to believe that what she was doing was illogical, she couldn't fool herself. She knew exactly why she was there and why it was absolutely necessary. With such a short time, she couldn't think of a better plan. Then again, knowing she was doing the right thing didn't make it any easier… and by the Ancestors, she hated herself for it.

It was their only chance.

"Let's hope you're worth it…" she rapidly worked around disabling the electromagnetic restraints and grabbed a manual scanner from the tray behind her. A quick inspection revealed that a number of its functions had already been forcefully shut down.

"Can you walk?" the geth lifted the head plates and flashed its photoreceptor a few times before standing up. "Good, we'll fix your voice later. Now follow me. We don't have much time," a tiny smile graced her face. "There is someone very eager to see you."

**oOo**

"Damn butchers…" Megara tapped hastily against the console, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and turning every other minute to the creature laying on his kitchen table, a number of wires and cables sticking out its open chest. "What kind of troglodyte would rip off the tri-phasic connectors like that?!"

"Quit whining, Mr Koris."

He stiffened, momentarily taken aback by Reela's commanding tone. Until now he didn't really picture her as the authoritative type.

"If what I suspect about the geth proves to be correct…" she said quietly as if continuing aloud some previous inner conversation. "People are stupid and so very blind…" She murmured from under the table as she set up the neural bypass.

"I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about, Doctor."

"I am just rambling. It was a long trying day and it is not over yet."

He turned away from the keyboard and took a moment to study his unlikely partner in crime. During their previous encounter she appeared to be so broken, so fragile… a completely different person – and she wasn't as old as he first thought, he acknowledged, and not entirely bad looking either. She was fifteen, maybe twenty years older than him, short black hair and despite the lines around her eyes, they were bright with determination and her whole persona almost glowed with the energy of a woman half her age.

He watched her hands work with surgical precision rerouting Geth's data matrix from the severed systems to an external core. She was good, very good. Which shouldn't have surprised him, really, considering that if Zahak was Zero-One's metaphoric father, Reela would rightfully be his mother. He was still feeling quite uncomfortable around her but he had to admit he didn't dislike her quite as much as he thought he should.

"If you are done staring, Mr Koris, would you run a level one diagnosis on the backup circuitry?" she huffed and pulled herself up.

He coughed awkwardly and did as told. "All systems online and holding. Initiating self-reparation protocols," he beamed. "It's going to take a full hour at least, possibly two... Let's hope no one notices he's gone."

"If we are lucky enough, we have until the next shift which starts in…" She checked her omnitool, "…four hours. You need to be out of the city before tomorrow..."

The young man leaned against the wall, pondering over the consequences of their actions. He never really thought that they would have to leave Rannoch like renegades, and hole up in one of the Terminus System pirate ridden worlds…

"You should better pack things up, Mr Koris," she patted him in the arm. "The sooner you leave, the better."

"Hold on a minute. What about you? Aren't you coming with us?"

"I cannot," she pointed at her face. "… and more importantly, there is something that I need to be sure about. Besides, there are going to be a lot of questions and someone will have to answer."

"But Reela – I mean, doctor Shal – what are you going to do if – when – they find out you're involved…"

"It is nice of you to worry, young man, but I can look after myself," she adjusted the veil back on her head. "I should get back to the laboratory before they figure out what happened…"

"Wait!" he grabbed her arm. "How do I know you won't be spilling everything out?!"

"Really, Mr Koris?" She let out a small sigh. "I imagine you would have to trust me."

"Trust you!?" his tone a little louder than intended. He looked at Reela'Shal then down at his friend and back to her. "You have yet to tell me why you are doing this."

"Well, isn't it obvious?" She lifted her gaze to meet his and for the first time she smiled.

He frowned, feeling he must have missed some vital piece of information along the way. She must have caught the dubious look in his eyes because her smile widened, as did his frustration at not catching up with her.

"Well, stop me then…" she freed her arm and walked to the door. "Goodbye, Megara'Koris. And good luck."


End file.
